Changing my own name

[cassrose]

So my name is Cassandra and until I left high school I was known as Cassie to all of my family and friends. My immediate family called me Cass and then after high school when I moved away and met more people I just started referring to myself as Cass. A few years ago I lived in South America so I went by Cassandra. Now in my job, I go by Cassandra and then Cass when people know me.

Neither really feel like me. Cassandra is fine but formal and Cass is short and I think a little boring. So I want to decide if at 35 I start referring to myself again as Cassie although I don't know if it feels like me either! I love the name Sadie and have recently seen that can be a nn for Cassandra but it seems too different. In coffee shops and restaurants etc I go by my middle name, Rose. I really do like that. But I think it might be weird to have people call me a completely different name? Advice please!

Test it out, why not. If you were my sister/ friend/ co -worker and said you wanted to me known as Sadie or Rose now I would call you that. I can 100% guarantee I would make mistakes a few times and call you Cassie (which btw I think is a very pretty name) but keep correcting people and they will get it.

I don’t see any problem at all. Choose either Sadie or Rose.

Go for it! It's your life and you need to be happy and feel like you!

If you were my family member/friend/colleague I would 100% respect if you wanted to referred to by a name you preferred! Go for it! Good luck xx

I like all versions of your name, but Cassie the most.

Using Rose seems fine.

I dislike Sadie, personally, for a few reasons(Sadie the cleaning lady, sad-ie) but that's irrelevant really if YOU like it.

I think an adult just changing their name is a little strange, especially for no real reason (it's not like you hate your name or that it's horrible).

My cousin started using a different shortening of her name (similar to an Elizabeth that's always been Beth, using Liz instead) I occasionally accidentally still call her Beth - that's who she is to me, that's who I have history with...Liz feels like an imposter!! I find it sad, but it's her choice & I try hard to remember to call her Liz.

However, if it makes you happy, there's no real reason not to! (Upset cousins will just have to cope 🤣🤣)

Not a cousin, but I have a very long standing family friend who was Lizzie as a child and now goes by Ella.

Her family still call her Lizzie. I don't know what I do, honestly. When I am talking about her to my family or hers and she isn't there, I call her Lizzie. If I meet up with her for a drink just the two of us I would probably avoid saying her name because now it doesn't feel right to call her either name. I know she doesn't like Lizzie or see herself as a Lizzie but calling her Ella feels really strange. But I think if I met up with her and her husband, or with other people who know her as Ella, I would call her Ella because in that situation it would be weirder not to. Also, she lives on the other side of the world and I very rarely see her. If I saw her often I think I would have just had to get used to calling her Ella.

I started using a different diminutive of my name around the time I turned 30, for reasons I won't bore you with. Think, full name Josephine, everyone called me Josie, then I just started introducing myself to new people as Jo. I never asked people who called me Josie to call me Jo instead, so for quite a long time there was a very clear line between people who knew me prior to X date who called me Josie and people I met after that date who called me Jo. Now that line is blurring, and quite a few people who used to call me Josie now call me Jo.

So I say do whatever you feel most comfortable with. People who have known you as Cass or Cassandra for a long time will most likely struggle with it, and some people such as your family might never manage to change their habits. But plenty of people will make the effort, and new people you meet will never know the difference.

Cass is so cool! I wish I was called Cass.

But go with whatever feels the most you. People will adjust. Would you change your official name or just what you’re known as day to day?

I love your name but how about Cassia?

Cassandra is quite long I'd just use Cassie.

Changing it completely seems a bit extreme if you don't hate it.

My cousin started using a different shortening of her name (similar to an Elizabeth that's always been Beth, using Liz instead) I occasionally accidentally still call her Beth - that's who she is to me, that's who I have history with...Liz feels like an imposter!! I find it sad, but it's her choice & I try hard to remember to call her Liz

Ive a close friend who did the same. As a child to family she was Beth. To friends she was always Liz. Changed to Beth when she was 30ish. Now some people call her liz and some Beth. Gives a clear indication of how long someone has known her for.